Published: Sunday, March 10, 2013 at 7:07 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, March 11, 2013 at 9:12 a.m.

Randy Klein ate meals at Morrison's Cafeteria in Ocala with his father during the 1970s, and again with his own children when Piccadilly took over the eatery on East Silver Springs Boulevard in 1998.

The local lawyer's wife ate there with her parents when she was a girl. The Kleins took their own children to the cafeteria on Thursdays, when the restaurant would hire a clown to entertain children.

The couple even had dinner there on the last night before Piccadilly closed for good in August 2011.

Klein, 61, admits sentimentality got the better of him and was a strong factor in his recent decision to buy the former Morrison's/Piccadilly building, which was built in 1960 in the 1600 block of East Silver Springs Boulevard.

Klein and law partner Fred Roberts Jr. bought the former restaurant last month through their jointly owned company KR1602, LLC.

Klein currently practices law out of the law office he and his father built, Klein & Klein, LLC, in 1978, two years after he graduated from law school. The Northwest Third Avenue building still has its original shag carpet and wood paneling, Klein said — another example of nostalgia.

But for a law firm made up of three attorneys and seven support staff, the Third Avenue building is too small, Klein said.

The plan is to divide the former 10,000-square-foot Piccadilly restaurant in half and convert the back, which used to be the kitchen, into new law offices. Klein said the front of the business will be rented and could again be a restaurant again if that's what the renters wanted to do with their share of the building.

Klein said he doesn't plan to sell his current location; he will rent it out. He said he will change the carpet, but is too sentimental about the structure to sell it or make too many changes.

Marion County court records show he and Roberts paid $525,000 for the former restaurant building and parking lot.

“Right now it still looks as it did when they closed it,” Klein said.

The contents, chairs, tables and food preparation equipment will be sold.

He plans on completing renovations to the back of the restaurant sometime this year and move into the former restaurant by the first half of next year.

“It has great memories,” he recalled. “Sundays after church was the biggest crowd. They served sliced turkey and drumsticks.”

Although Silver Springs Boulevard is no longer the commercial sector it was when Morrison's first opened, Klein thinks the area still has sufficient traffic and area restaurants cater well to area businesses.

Meanwhile, business has not gone well for Piccadilly since it closed the Ocala store in 2011.

Piccadilly Restaurants LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2012 after it couldn't come to terms with its debt holder.

Klein regrets the demise of cafeteria-style restaurants. They have trouble competing with fast food.

But he said he takes some solace in that he will soon be working where so many of his family and friends once enjoyed good meals and each other's company.

<p>Randy Klein ate meals at Morrison's Cafeteria in Ocala with his father during the 1970s, and again with his own children when Piccadilly took over the eatery on East Silver Springs Boulevard in 1998.</p><p>The local lawyer's wife ate there with her parents when she was a girl. The Kleins took their own children to the cafeteria on Thursdays, when the restaurant would hire a clown to entertain children.</p><p>The couple even had dinner there on the last night before Piccadilly closed for good in August 2011.</p><p>Klein, 61, admits sentimentality got the better of him and was a strong factor in his recent decision to buy the former Morrison's/Piccadilly building, which was built in 1960 in the 1600 block of East Silver Springs Boulevard.</p><p>Klein and law partner Fred Roberts Jr. bought the former restaurant last month through their jointly owned company KR1602, LLC.</p><p>Klein currently practices law out of the law office he and his father built, Klein & Klein, LLC, in 1978, two years after he graduated from law school. The Northwest Third Avenue building still has its original shag carpet and wood paneling, Klein said — another example of nostalgia.</p><p>But for a law firm made up of three attorneys and seven support staff, the Third Avenue building is too small, Klein said.</p><p>The plan is to divide the former 10,000-square-foot Piccadilly restaurant in half and convert the back, which used to be the kitchen, into new law offices. Klein said the front of the business will be rented and could again be a restaurant again if that's what the renters wanted to do with their share of the building.</p><p>Klein said he doesn't plan to sell his current location; he will rent it out. He said he will change the carpet, but is too sentimental about the structure to sell it or make too many changes.</p><p>Marion County court records show he and Roberts paid $525,000 for the former restaurant building and parking lot.</p><p>“Right now it still looks as it did when they closed it,” Klein said.</p><p>The contents, chairs, tables and food preparation equipment will be sold.</p><p>He plans on completing renovations to the back of the restaurant sometime this year and move into the former restaurant by the first half of next year.</p><p>“It has great memories,” he recalled. “Sundays after church was the biggest crowd. They served sliced turkey and drumsticks.”</p><p>Although Silver Springs Boulevard is no longer the commercial sector it was when Morrison's first opened, Klein thinks the area still has sufficient traffic and area restaurants cater well to area businesses.</p><p>Meanwhile, business has not gone well for Piccadilly since it closed the Ocala store in 2011.</p><p>Piccadilly Restaurants LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2012 after it couldn't come to terms with its debt holder.</p><p>Klein regrets the demise of cafeteria-style restaurants. They have trouble competing with fast food.</p><p>But he said he takes some solace in that he will soon be working where so many of his family and friends once enjoyed good meals and each other's company.</p><p><i>Contact Fred Hiers at fred.hiers@starbanner.com.</i></p>